Chillin’ in the Berwyn’s…

With the Scottish walking holiday coming up (end of April), this one was targetted as a bit of a leg stretcher to keep the miles up and the fitness maintained (such as it is).

So a quick look on http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/ to find the nearest “Trail 100” classified mountain, apart from Kinder and Bleaklow in the Peaks, the next closest was the Berwyn’s, just over the border in Wales, West of Oz-West-Tree. (Oswestry – but I prefer my spelling)

‘Trail’ is the mountain magazine which has listed its favourite 100 hills, the ‘Trail 100’.  I think we’ve done about 25% of them now (so that’ll be 25 then, mathematician, me?), and there’s a hell of a lot in Scotland (for obvious reasons), so will hopefully get a couple more ‘bagged’ whilst on the Scottish holiday.

Anyway, taking a swift plane back to the point….  Today’s route was expertly established  by N as…

http://www.trekkingbritain.com/cadairberwynfrompistyllrhaeadr.html

So we headed off to an impossibly named Welsh Village, to drive up the 4 mile single track road which culminated in a mad old troll guarding a tea shop, car park and an amazing waterfall, Pistyll Rhaeadr…

N decided to ignore the “Safety Guidelines” bit of this one.  (In-joke, sorry)…..

N laughs in the face of danger, ha ha ha

This one was a day walk, so a 7.00am start from Congleton saw us at the waterfall for about 8.30am, still no one around (except the troll) and a lone cyclist.  Troll suitably adorned with his gift of gold (a 2 quid coin), we were allowed to cross his bridge to view his splendour…

The weather was gorgeous, time was on our side, so we lingered here a while…..

Where's Wally?

So onto the ‘walking’ bit of this walking blog…..  If you could be bothered to read the link above, that was the route dead on, so not much too add really, other than the names of the peaks gained were, Berwyn North Top, Berwyn itself and Moel Sych (should that be pronounced ‘Mole Sick’?)

Unedited Stitch

The tarn from near the top

N at the top after a spot of fell running

The obligatory phallic rock shot.

By the time lunch stop came around, we were near enough back to the start, so headed for the top of the falls and had a pleasant leisurely lunch (Ginsters Cornish Pasty in case your interested, although special credit has to go to N’s, turkey, chilli ketchup and jalapeno butties) atop a big rock

After N had a quick dip of his toes (in joke again, sorry) it was back to the car park….

My dad in wood form

.. and onto the pub in the impossibly-named-Welsh-village for a pint in yet another “Good Beer Guide 2010” (I’m too tight to get the 2011 version) pub…

Landlord

Although there was only one beer on offer (how do these places get in the guide when that’s the case?), it was suitably chilled, a bit like us really..

So after stated time of 4 ½ hours, the walk itself only took 3 and I was back in Congleton in time for a hair cut. 

Smoke me a kipper….